


Like a Maiden Scorned

by Flammenkobold



Series: Not Quite a Blue Sunrise [1]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Drinking, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Pining, Pre-Slash, Secret Relationship, implied Zolf/Carter, implied could have been Zolf/Wilde, one-sided Carter/Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24847144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flammenkobold/pseuds/Flammenkobold
Summary: Carter keeps drinking like it's the end of the world, even though it's decidedly the opposite of it. It's none of Zolf's business, usually, except that he knows when Carter gets like that, there is trouble following swiftly. And the last thing they need tonight is trouble.OrCarter is pining over Barnes dancing with Wilde instead of him, Wilde and Barnes have secretly been a thing for some time, Zolf has a revelation or two, and unlikely friends (and perhaps more) are made over a bottle of booze.
Relationships: Commander Barnes/Oscar Wilde (Rusty Quill Gaming), Howard Carter & Zolf Smith
Series: Not Quite a Blue Sunrise [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1887586
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Like a Maiden Scorned

Carter keeps drinking like it's the end of the world, even though it's decidedly the opposite of it. He doesn't even mingle with the other party guests, just keeps to a corner, drinking straight from the bottle, eyes fixed on the dance floor where several couples dance slowly. It's none of Zolf's business, usually, except that he knows when Carter gets like that, there is trouble following swiftly. And the last thing they need tonight is trouble. 

Curie is already on alert, Saira is as well and by default so is Hamid. It's a celebration tonight, end of the world averted, everyone saved, but it's also a statement and a political move all the same. Zolf doesn't care much for any of it, but he cares about his friends and he cares about not having a bloody scene because Carter can't hold his liquor. 

So he walks over to him, holds out his hand. "Give me that," he says and to his surprise Carter hands him the bottle without any complaint. That truly is a cause for worry, because Carter never does anything quiet, except stealing and even then it's a toss up between him going stealthy or making a loud mess of it.

"What got your knickers in a twist," Zolf asks and takes a swig from the bottle. It's actually really nice stuff. Carter still stares at the dancing couples and when Zolf follows his glare, he can see in the middle of it all Wilde leading Barnes in a slow dance. 

Both of them are immaculately dressed, Barnes in his old uniform, brass buttons and medals glinting spotless in the soft chandelier light, Wilde in something artistically garish. Ghosts of their former selves draped over the persons they are now. Their heads are close and they talk quietly, Wilde's lips quirking up into a brief and rare soft smile, Barnes' face without its usual moroseness.

"How long do you reckon that's been going on?" Carter asks.

Zolf shifts his weight, an uncomfortable hunch grabbing hold of him. So that kind of drama then. "Don't know, don't really care, a while if I had to guess."

"Really?" Carter huffs out.

"Well do you?"

Carter snatches the bottle back from him. "Always figured you'd end up with the bastard."

Zolf takes the bottle back from him. "Why does everyone keep saying that," he mutters under his breath. "What's it to you anyway," he asks Carter louder.

Carter sniffs and lifts the bottle back, downs nearly a quarter of it on his own. "Figured when it's all over I'd ask him out."

"What, Wilde?"

"Don't be daft. Learned my lesson there. Barnes." He takes another sip, curses. "I really like him, you know?"

"Yeah, I can tell, you're acting like a maiden scorned by her first date."

"Am not," Carter huffs out and Zolf uses his indignation to slip the bottle from his fingers. Carter stares back at the dance floor, chews on his lips.

"That's not new is it? Them," he says, sounding defeated. 

Zolf doesn't know, if it isn't new then they kept it well under wraps and Zolf must’ve turned a blind eye to it. If it is new... but no, he knows Wilde well enough. If it was new he wouldn't let himself relax as much as he is, would not allow himself to be that affectionate. It may not look like much from the outside, compared to most of the other couples dancing, but it’s far more than Wilde had shown in the past few years. 

"Gods, they even look like a couple from one of your books," Carter laments and Zolf can see it a bit. The dashing commander turned privateer and the former dandy turned stern spymaster, slipping into their old roles for one night of political intrigue. Zolf shakes his head and instead takes a sip from the bottle.

The dance ends and Barnes and Wilde slowly step away from each other, hands lingering on each other for a fraction longer than necessary. When they let go it's like some sort of spell breaking and Wilde's walls go up immediately. His eyes sweep over the room, taking quick inventory, finding Zolf and Carter and the bottle in the corner, his gaze lingers a bit longer on them, questioning. Zolf tips the bottle in his direction, nothing to worry about here, he's got it under control. Wilde gives him a minute nod and turns his attention elsewhere. 

Something in the way they just understand each other hits Zolf in the chest like a wave hits a ship in a storm.

It's something full of maybes and could have beens and realizations of things he's tamped down deliberately for ages now. "Oh fuck me," he says and downs half of the remaining booze in the bottle.

"Told you," Carter says almost gleefully.

"Yeah, whatever," Zolf grumbles. These are too many what ifs and maybes and could have beens for his taste. He hands Carter the bottle back; to Carter's surprise. "Drink up and let's see if we can find some more somewhere less stiff and proper," he says and Carter laughs hard enough to draw attention.

They make a swift exit after, walking through the hot Cairo air in search of a bar more to their taste. 

"Hey Zolf, Zolf?" Carter pesters him, grinning wildly, in the middle of the street. His mood has already lifted, now that they’re not in the Tahan estate anymore.

"What?"

"I think I really like you too," he says - nearly sings it - and Zolf groans. He is far too sober for this.

"Yeah, yeah. Buy me a drink first."

To his surprise Carter does. With his own money even.

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you just have to write rare pairs and crack ships.


End file.
